Cross bow



Aug. 9, 1955 R. E. ICKES 2,714,884

CROSS BOW iled Nov. 7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. POLL/MID E. ICKE'S,

United States Patent CROSS BOW Rolland E. Ickes, Kalamazoo, Mich. Application November 7, 1952, Serial No. 319,246 2 Claims. (Cl. 124-25) This invention relates to cross bows and more particularly to a cross bow having a vertically disposed bow when the cross bow is in firing position.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved cross bow in which the bow is substantially vertically disposed when the cross bow is in firing position; which has improved trigger operated means for holding the bow string in drawn condition and releasing the string for discharge of the arrow or missile from the cross bow; which carries the missile alongside the forearm of the stock so that the missile is free to follow the bow string after the string is released by the trigger; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to use, and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a cross bow illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the cross bow illustrated in Figure I;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the side of the cross bow opposite that illustrated in Figure l with the bow in drawn condition;

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the trigger mechanism of the cross bow; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

With continued reference to the drawings, the illustrated cross bow comprises an elongated stock, generally indicated at 10, including a shoulder piece 11 and a forearm 12 disposed in end to end relationship with the forearm extending longitudinally from the shoulder piece and a trigger mechanism block 13 disposed between the adjacent ends of the shoulder piece 11 and the forearm 12 and connecting the shoulder piece and forearm together. A bow 14 is mounted medially of its length on the forearm 12 at the end of the forearm remote from the shoulder piece 11 in position such that the bow is substantially vertically disposed when the stock is held in substantially horizontal firing position, and a bow string 15 is connected at its opposite ends to the respectively opposite ends of the bow 14 and extends between the ends of the bow and across one side of the forearm 12 of the stock. A hook shaped rest 16 projects from the side of the forearm 12 across which the bow string extends at a location adjacent the end of the forearm at which the bow is mounted and a hand grip 17 projects outwardly from the other side of the forearm at a location spaced from the rest 16 in a direction away from the adjacent end of the forearm portion of the stock.

A latch plate 18 of flattened, U-shape is disposed on the top side of the stock and extends across the length of the trigger block 13 with one end secured to the forearm 12 and its other end secured to the shoulder piece 11 adjacent the corresponding ends of the trigger block and ice a trigger guard 19 of somewhat arcuatte shape is disposed at the underside of the stock and extends across the length of the trigger block 13 with one end secured to the forearm 12 and its other arm secured to the shoulder piece 11 at locations spaced from the corresponding ends of the trigger block 13.

A latch button 20 is disposed between the latch plate 18 and the adjacent surface of the trigger block 13 and is pivotally mounted on the trigger block by a pivot pin 21 extending through registering apertures in the latch plate 18 and the latch button 24) and into a recess in the adjacent surface of the block 13. This button is of flat, elongated shape and is concavely curved along one edge from one end to the other. The other edge of the button is shaped to provide flat dwells 22 and 23 disposed one at each end of the button and when the button extends transversely of the stock, as illustrated in Figure 2, the end of the button carrying the dwell 22 projects outwardly from the side of the stock across which the bow string 15 extends with the flat dwell 22 facing the shoulder piece 11 of the stock to engage the bow string and hold the bow string in position with the bow drawn, as illustrated in Figure 3. A flat plate 25 overlies one side of the trigger block 13 and projects beyond the ends of the trigger block to overlap the adjacent ends of the forearm and shoulder piece portions of the stock and this plate is secured to the forearm portion 12 by suitable means, such as the screws 26 and is secured to the shoulder piece 11 by suitable means, such as the screw 27. A sear 28 in the form of an elongated, fiat strip of resilient material is disposed against the outer side of the plate 25 and overlaps at one end the adjacent portion of the forearm 12 to which the sear is secured by suitable means, such as the screws or rivets 29, At its other or free end the sear 28 extends partly across the space between the top surface of the trigger block 13 and the latch plate 18 and is there provided with a detent formation 30 which engages the dwell 23 of the latch button 20 to releasably hold the latch button in position with its dwell 22 projecting substantially perpendicularly outwardly from the side of the trigger block remote from the sear 28.

A trigger 31 is disposed at the outer side of the plate 25 and has at one end an enlarged portion 32 of substantially circular shape provided at its center with a boss formation 33 having an aperture or bore 34 extending therethrough and having a spirally inclined cam face 35 extending around the boss 33 at the side of the trigger remote from the plate 25. The trigger is pivotally mounted on the plate 25 by a suitable pivot pin 36 extending through the bore 34 therein in a position such that a portion of the cam face 35 is disposed between the sear 2S and the plate 25 and a hook portion 37 of the trigger projects from the underside of the trigger block into the space between the trigger bloclt and the trigger guard 19. The trigger is angularly movable about the pivot pin 36 and is resiliently urged to a forward limiting position by a tension spring 38 connected between the trigger and one of the screws 26 securing the plate 25 to the forearm portion 12 of the stock and the trigger is movable rearwardly against the force of spring 38 by finger pressure on the hook portion 37 of the trigger and when so moved rotates the cam face 35 in a direction such that an increasingly higher portion of the cam face is moved between the sear 28 and the plate 25 moving the detent 30 of the sear outwardly relative to the dwell 23 of the latch button 20 until the detent moves off of the outer end of the dwell and releases the latch button. When the latch button is released by the detent 30 of the sear it pivots about the pin 21 moving the dwell 22 inwardly of the space between the latch plate 18 and the trigger block 13 releasing the bow string 15.

In order to fire the cross bow, with the bow drawn and the bow string engaged by the latch button or keeper 20, a missile 40 has its notched rear or feathered end engaged with the bow string immediately below the button 20 and is disposed near its forward or head end on the rest 16. If the trigger hook portion 37 is now forced rearwardly by finger pressure to release the latch button 20, the bow string 15 will be released and will propel the missile 40 forwardly past the rest 16, the rear or notched end of a missile following the bow string so that the missile is projected accurately in a straight line and is not thrown out of its proper trajectory by action of the bow string on its rear end.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing descrip= tion, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cross bow, a stock, a latch button pivoted on said stock, said latch button having ends projecting beyond opposite sides of the stock, an end of the latch button being retainably engageable with a bow string, a resilient sear having an end fixedly secured to the other side of the stock, said sear having a free end having a detent retainably engageable with the other end of the latch button to hold the latch button in drawn bow string Cir retaining position, and a trigger pivoted on the said other side of the stock to swing 011 a horizontal axis, said trigger having a cam surface engaging the said sear and operative to flex the sear out of retaining engagement with the latch plate.

2. In a cross bow, a stock, a latch button pivoted on said stock, said latch button having ends projecting beyond opposite sides of the stock, an end of the latch button being retainably engageable with a bow string, a resilient sear having an end fixedly secured to the other side of the stock, said sear having a free end having a detent retainably engageable with the other end of the latch button to hold the latch button in drawn bow string retaining position, and a trigger pivoted on the said other side of the stock to swing on a horizontal axis, said trigger having a cam surface engaging the said sear and operative to flex the sear out of retaining engagement with the latch plate, and spring means acting between the stock and the trigger for yieldingly urging said trigger toward a forward position.

References Cited inth'e file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 97,719 Sperry Dec. 7, 1869 224,114 Streeter Feb. 3, 1880 736,051 Adams n Aug. 11, 1903 1,649,045 Tickel NOV. 15, 1927 1,804,450 Allen May 1931 2,345,043 Hall Mar. 28, 1944 2,417,791 Tyszkiewicz Mar. 18, 1947 

